


No One Deserves Second Chances

by FreeCake4All



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends, Friendship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Not Beta Read, Redemption, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-12
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-02-18 21:24:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22933426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreeCake4All/pseuds/FreeCake4All
Summary: And that's why they're so wonderful.
Relationships: Manchester Black & Kara Danvers, Manchester Black & The Hat
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	1. I Am Reaching, but I Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Is he from heaven or from hell?  
>  And does he know  
> That granting me my life today  
> This man has killed me even so?  
> - **Javert's Suicide, Les Miserables**_

"If you don't stand up and fight, you'll lose everything. Again."

Visions consumed J'onn's view. Visions of his family. His daughters, happy and alive. He smiled, filled with joy, forgetting that they had been dead for countless years. Another vision reminded him of this terrible fact soon enough, however, as he was forced to watch them be taken. Killed. Finally, a white martian appeared before him. He tried to attack it, but it melted away at his touch, bringing him back to reality.

J'onn screamed with grief and rage. In one swift motion, he stood to his feet and called the staff to him, wrenching it from Manchester's hand. He drew the staff back, preparing to strike-

But J'onn stopped. His whole body was shaking- with rage, fear, he didn't know what. Part of him was urging him to deal the killing blow. _Kill!_ , it said, _KILL!_

But he couldn't. Some other part of him was telling him to stay his hand. _Remember_ , it said, _remember the path of peace._

"What are you waiting for?" asked Manchester, tilting his head, bewildered and angry. He threw out his arm, yelling "Come on! Do it!"

J'onn just looked at him. _Can I really bring myself to kill this man?_

His hand shook violently.

 _KILL!_ the first voice screamed. _KILL! **KILL!**_

 _Peace_ , the second voice said, _**peace**._

The second voice sounded like his father.

J'onn took a deep breath and gave the staff a firm tap on the ground. Just like what had happened to J'onn just minutes ago, images flooded into Manchester's mind. Memories. Memories that, to Manchester, seemed as real as the day they happened. Manchester was, at first, elated, exclaiming "Fi!" He too, forgot that the one he loved had been killed. Fear was next. "No! Fi! Please, Fi, don't leave me!" Grief followed. No words, only tears. Finally, something akin to abject horror came over him. A single, quiet 'no' escaped his lips, and then he fell silent.

"Now don't you see it?" J'onn shouted at his stunned foe, still angry despite his restraint. "You speak of a dead heart? It's dead because you've allowed vengeance to consume it!" His voice lowered. "I will not allow it to consume mine."

Manchester stared right through J'onn, slack-jawed. He slowly fell to his knees, thoughts racing through his mind.

By the time he came to his senses, J'onn was gone.

Manchester realized it now.

He had failed Fiona.

* * *

It was the next night at the DEO. It was a pretty typical night; less busy than during the day, but still with agents going about their business, monitoring the computers and attending to whatever needed attending to. Overall, it was pretty quiet.

Too quiet, actually. It was the kind of quiet that makes you more anxious instead of less.

Supergirl stood next to J'onn in the main hub, and asked him, "What did you do back at the dam? We haven't had any sign of Manchester since." Strangely enough there had been no word from Agent Liberty or his followers either. Very strange.

"I simply turned his own trick back upon him. Brought up old memories, reminded him of what FIona would want. In a way, I simply cleared his head." J'onn did his best to seem calm, but inside he was as nervous as everyone else. He was beginning to consider the consequences that his actions at the dam might have had.

"We have an incoming transmission," Brainy said all of a sudden, "Putting it on screen now."

What showed up on screen was Manchester Black, standing against a starlit sky. He was on a rooftop; they could see the tops of other buildings in the background. He looked haggard, like he hadn't slept or eaten since they had seen him last. Like something had sucked some of the life out of him.

"Alright J'onn," he began, "I get it. I was trying to avenge Fiona, and all the other aliens hurt or killed by the Children of Liberty, but all I really was doing was dishonoring Fi and her memory."

Supergirl turned to J'onn, confused. "J'onn?"

J'onn said nothing. It seemed his fear was coming true.

"Thing is, without my vengeance..." Manchester looked away for a moment and sniffed. "I have nothing. Fi... saved me, and without her, I've had nothing to keep my violent side switched off. And after everything I've done, I've got no reason to stick around."

"Oh my gosh," Supergirl said, horror dawning on her, "this is a suicide message."

"So, what I'm saying is..." Manchester looked at the camera with a sad smile. "Well, J'onn, I guess you did kill me. Just not the way I thought you would."

Kara turned to Brainy as soon as the transmission ended. "Where was that coming from?"

"63 Hawthorn Street."

Kara didn't wait for Brainy to say anything else.

* * *

Manchester stepped up onto the ledge and took one last look at the street below before turning his back to it. It was quiet from up here. The sound of the traffic below was little more than a gentle whisper.

He held Fiona's ring in his hand, closed his eyes, took a step back...

And he let go.

Manchester felt himself falling through the air. Heard the wind rushing past him. It would all be over soon. All the pain, all the grief, all the rage, over. It would hurt for a second, but only a second, then it would be-

But instead of every organ and bone in his body breaking against the pavement below, he felt someone grab him, holding him close and stopping his fall.

Manchester opened his eyes. An all too familiar face greeted him. 

Supergirl.

He struggled in her arms, swinging at her with his fists. "Let me go, let me go!"

Supergirl just held onto him even tighter, ignoring the insults and the pathetically weak blows. His futile attempts to escape her hold merely drained what little energy he had left.

Manchester sobbed, giving one last weak punch, tears flowing down his face. "Let me go," he begged, " _please_."

Supergirl clenched her jaw and kept flying.

* * *

"You know, if you wanted to die, you shouldn't have sent a suicide message to the girl who's faster than a speeding bullet."

Manchester glowered up at Supergirl from where he sat, on a bench in a DEO containment cell. "It was supposed to be for J'onn." 

Supergirl seemed to ignore him. "And besides, you have guns, you could have just shot yourself, or hung yourself, or overdosed or...!" She gestured widely as if say 'any number of things'. Continuing, she said, "You know what, Manchester? I think there's a part of you that wanted to be saved."

Manchester stood and banged his fist against the glass. "SHUT UP!"

He sighed, dropping back down onto the bench, head in his hands. He looked back up at Supergirl. "Should have dropped me while you had the chance. You're going to regret this. I'll make you regret this."

"I don't think Fiona would want you to say that."

"You don't know what Fi would want."

"I know she wouldn't want you to kill yourself!"

Manchester couldn't think of anything to say. He sat there in silence, staring at the floor. Thinking.

Finally, after a few moments of quiet, Supergirl spoke again. "You know, Manchester, if you need anybody to talk to, I'm here."

"Get out."

Supergirl simply sighed and said, "Okay," leaving without another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Give Javert's Suicide a listen, the song actually really fits this chapter- which wasn't really my intention when I started this story, funnily enough. Also, listen Valjean's Soliliquy too- its got some lyrics that fit too, and its an interesting parallel to Javert's Suicide.
> 
> Aw, heck, just go listen to the whole Les Miserables soundtrack. Not because of any parallels this fic has to it but because it's great.
> 
> EDIT: Changed the beginning a bit after some suggestions from a friend of mine. Thanks dude!


	2. We Need To Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"Cause I'm with you till the end of the line."_   
>  _- **Captain America: The Winter Soldier**_

It was the evening of the next day and Manchester was sitting in his cell, picking at the food they had given him. He didn't know what to make of the fish sticks and vanilla pudding that comprised his meal. He hadn't exactly expected to live this long.

Suddenly, to his surprise, a worried-looking Hat walked into the room, flanked by Supergirl and a DEO guard. Both men gave a sigh of relief upon seeing the other alive and in one piece.

Supergirl started to tell Manchester "We brought you a friend-"

"Chester!" Hat excalimed, not waiting for her to finish, "They told me about you, are you alright? I've been worried sick!" This was clear to everyone in the room, what with the dark circles under his eyes and all.

Manchester glanced up at him from his place on the cell bench. "Define alright," he said, setting his food aside.

Hat scoffed as he approached his friend under the watchful eye of his escorts. "Stupid question," he muttered to himself under his breath. "Clearly you're not alright, Manchester," he exclaimed, "you threw yourself off a building!”

"Didn't _throw_ myself off, I _stepped_ off," Manchester said, not even looking at Hat, "there's a difference."

"Yeah, well they both end you up in the same place, dead on a sidewalk!"

"Well I'm not dead, are you happy?" Manchester asked. "I'm not."

"I should have _known_ that something was wrong," Hat said, shaking his head as he sat in the chair that Supergirl offered him, "the way you were acting last I saw you!"

Manchester looked down at the floor, lacing his fingers behind his head. He said quietly "Fiona would hate me."

Hat scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous, Fiona wouldn't _hate_ you," Hat paused in introspection. "But I suppose... suppose Fiona wouldn't want what we've done. But for goodness sake Manchester, she wouldn't want you to try to _kill_ yourself either!"

Manchester wouldn't even look at Hat. "That's what Supergirl said."

Supergirl nodded. "I did say that."

Manchester winced and pressed one hand to the side of his head. "I'm being selfish. How are they treating you?"

"I'm fine." Hat spoke gently as he put his hand on the glass. "Look at me, Manchester." 

Manchester kept looking at the floor.

"Manchester, look at me." Manchester looked up, putting his free hand up to the glass where Hat's hand was. "Manchester, you're my only real friend left in the world. We lost Fiona, I don't want to lose you too."

Manchester sighed, drawing his hand away. "Listen, mate, I get what you're saying. I don't... I don't _want_ to die. Problem is, I've got a bit of a dilemma. I can't let Fiona's killer get away with what he's done, and is doing. But I can't go against Fiona's wishes and continue hurting and killing. What choice did I have but to die? I'm paralyzed, man."

"Sometimes when computers are given conflicting orders, they choose to self terminate. It would appear humans are much the same." Brainy had entered the room at some point, unannounced and unnoticed until now.

Supergirl turned to him. "How long have you been here?"

”I came in somewhere around ‘we lost Fiona’. Supergirl, there is-“

Manchester's eyes lit up with recognition. "Wait a minute, I know you! I met you at that Thanksgiving party, at J'onn's friend's house."

Brainy nodded. "Indeed. As i was saying, Supergirl, there is something that needs your attention."

"Alright guys," Supergirl said, "I'm gonna have to go. Hat, do you want to stay and talk to Manchester a little longer?"

Hat nodded.

"Alright then,” Supergirl said, “I will see you later!"

* * *

  
Hat had left a few minutes ago and Manchester could only lay on the cell bench, eyes closed, begging his body to fall asleep. The unceasing, dull throb in his head made it impossible to do anything else. Not that there was much to do anyway.

But soon enough he started to drift off, despite the pain.

And for the first time since Fiona's death, he thought he could hear her voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish that the show had given us more of these two together, I want to see more of their friendship.
> 
> Sorry that this chapter is so short, its really just a bridge chapter to get to the next chapter which has more going on.


End file.
